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These delicious 3 ingredient recipes make life easy! Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack, these simple concepts make cooking a breeze.

3 ingredient recipes

Cooking doesn’t have to be rocket science. In fact, simple combinations can make the most stellar flavors! Here’s a list of 3 ingredient recipes that proves you don’t have to buy loads of ingredients to make delicious and nourishing food. There are ideas for every time of the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snack time. Nosh on tasty 3-ingredient bean dip, whip up a pot of pasta with emerald green pesto sauce, and even sear a fancy ahi tuna into buttery strips of deliciousness. We’re getting hungry, so…

Caveat: The recipes below do not count salt in the ingredient count, since it’s a staple in all kitchens.

And now…the best 3 ingredient recipes to make life easy!

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Pesto salmon

3 Ingredient Pesto Salmon


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Description

Bright green basil pesto is a natural fit with baked fish! This pesto salmon is an easy 3 ingredient dinner recipe that also works to impress guests.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets or a large 1 ½ pound fillet, wild caught if possible
  • ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons basil pesto

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Brine the salmon: While the oven preheats, in a shallow dish stir together 4 cups room temperature water and 3 tablespoons kosher salt until it dissolves. Place the salmon in the water and wait for 15 minutes (this should be about the time it takes to preheat).
  3. Bake*: Rub the bottom of a baking dish with oil. Pat each piece of salmon dry and place it on the pan. Sprinkle the salmon with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt for each of the 4 fillets and fresh ground pepper. Cover pan with foil and bake the salmon for 10 minutes. Then remove the foil bake again for 3 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness, until just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should be between 125 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit in the center). A 1-inch thick fillet should cook in about 15 minutes total.
  4. Serve: When the salmon is done, spoon the pesto over the salmon. Sprinkle it with chopped pine nuts and if desired, a bit of lemon zest. Serve immediately. (Leftovers can be stored refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.)

Notes

*You can also pan sear or broiled the salmon to make a quicker recipe. Go to Pan Seared Salmon or Broiled Salmon.

  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Seafood
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Keywords: 3 Ingredient Recipes

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you’ll want to make again and again.

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